


these ties that bind us

by fifteen_half



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, and no 'created humans', except there are wizards and knights, in any case please read that manga you will not regret it, inspired by an awesome manga called Silver Diamond
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-20
Updated: 2014-05-21
Packaged: 2018-01-25 20:25:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1661351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fifteen_half/pseuds/fifteen_half
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'I wouldn't mind a little company at home though,' seventeen year old Sugawara Koushi mused. He'd been living by himself for two years now, after his parents died in an accident. It was difficult for a while, but with the support of those around him, he had managed, and continued to managed, quite well for himself. Still, having company <i>would</i> be nice.</p><p>However, finding an unconscious and heavily injured boy lying in the middle of his garden was definitely <i>not</i> what he had in mind!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is based on an awesome manga called [Silver Diamond](http://mangafox.me/manga/silver_diamond/). Please, please read it and spread the love~! 
> 
> This story isn't anything like it, except for parts of the plot. The manga is also definitely more humorous but, I hope this doesn't fail to entertain at the very least!
> 
> Lastly, thank you [Aeius](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeius) for the inspiration!

"There," Sugawara Koushi, 3rd year junior high student, smiled as he placed a band-aid on a child's scraped knee, "All done. No more pain anymore, right?"

The child sniffed, then looked up in awe at the sandy-haired onii-chan in front of him. Blinking his tears away, he smiled brightly up at him and said, "Onii-chan, that's amazing! It really doesn't hurt anymore!"

"Good!" Koushi quipped, then he chuckled as he watched the boy thank him before returning to his playmates.

Standing as he brushed dirt from his pants, Sugawara picked his groceries from the ground then made his way back home once more. He took his time going home, knowing that no one was waiting for him to arrive. It's been two, going on three, years since the accident, and though Sugawara has accepted his parents' deaths, the years hasn't made him miss them any less. They had been his whole world after all, and now it's just himself.

Not that he was unhappy or anything. He had friends in school, and people he hung out with often. His neighbors would go out of their way to check up on him from time to time. They even took care of him when he got seriously ill that one time. Even helped him pay his bills and taxes, taught him where to buy his groceries, what to buy, where the greatest deals were, how to cook and clean. It was very difficult that first year of living by himself, but with the support of the people around him, he had managed, and continued to manage quite well for himself.

'I wouldn't mind a little company at home though,' he mused as he entered his very still and silent home. Placing his shoes on the rack, he made his way towards the kitchen to drop his groceries on the table. He'd put them away later. Now, he walked towards his mother's garden, intent on watering the plants. It was his mother's sanctuary, a space almost as big as half of their house, and with her gone, he had continued to take care of the place, even if it reminded him of her. He honestly wanted to let the plants wither away, but the garden had nothing to do with his parents' accident. Letting it die wouldn't bring his parents back.

Grabbing the hose, he was about to turn the faucet on when he noticed something big lying in the middle of the garden.

Eyes wide, Sugawara went very still. Heart racing, with all sorts of scenarios going through his head, he let go of the hose and grabbed a rake instead. As silently as he could, he walked towards the unknown thing, hoping that it wasn't one those monsters his mother would scare him with when he was a child. Near enough to see but still far away for whatever it was to strike him, he swallowed in fear as he peered at the figure lying on the ground. Quickly, he realized that it was no monster.

The thing was actually a young man.

His eyes were tightly closed as if in pain, his lips a grim line as if keeping himself from crying out loud. He was pale, deathly so, and even from afar Sugawara could tell he was shaking terribly. Whoever this was, and however he came to lie in the middle of Sugawara's garden, he couldn't possibly do Sugawara any harm. Not in that state anyway. And, judging from the way he shook and curled in on himself, the young man probably needed help. Fast.

Rushing towards the young man's side, Sugawara quickly checked the pulse and found it speedy and alarmingly unsteady. Drawing knowledge from all the first aid classes he had attended with much insistence from his paramedic parents, Sugawara carefully checked the young man-- boy, really, for any injuries.

He was horrified to find a heavily bleeding wound on the boy's abdomen. There were also a lot of cuts and bruises along the boy's arms and legs, as if he had run through something, like a glass window or door.

Forgoing calling for help, realizing that if he doesn't stop the bleeding there would be _no one_ to help, Sugawara ran back in the house and grabbed as much towels as he could. He also took the first aid kit with him, knowing that his parents always kept it fully stocked.

Running back to the boy's side, wondering why and how and who could _hurt_ a boy like this, he carefully cut the boy's shirt, then pressed a towel over the bleeding wound. The boy let out a strangled yell, then his eyes snapped open! He took one long look at the surprised and equally frightened Sugawara, before quickly scooting away from him in fear.

When the boy's back hit a tree, he let out another pain-filled yell, pushing Sugawara to his feet to try and calm the obviously terrified boy.

Crouching before the cowering boy, he placed his hands out in a gesture of peace, then with as much calm as he could muster, said, "Hey. Hey. It's all right. You're all right. I'm not gonna hurt you. No one's going to hurt you here. You're safe. I promise. You're safe. I was just trying to treat your wounds, that's all. Please? Would you let me? You're b-bleeding pretty heavily."

But the boy wouldn't stop cowering, aggravating his already serious wounds.

Dismayed, and unwilling to let a child die on front of him, Sugawara took a step forward before quickly taking more than a few steps back again as he stared at the _ball of flame_ in the boy's hand! Thoroughly dumbstruck at the sight, he would have been toast, quite literally, had the flame not died out the moment the boy attempted to throw it at him.

"Wha--," he managed to say, as he tried to process what just happened!

But then the boy slumped limply against the tree, his wounds bleeding much more profusely now, prompting Sugawara to damn all consequences because this was not going to happen in his mother's garden, and he was not going to let anyone else die in front of him as his parents had.

Grasping the boy's shoulders, he clutched it tightly before declaring, "You are _not_ going to die here today, you hear me! I won't let you!"

Before he could grab another towel to stop the bleeding with, Sugawara was surprised once again when he heard the boy say, "Too l-late. I-it's already... too late."

And when the boy looked up at him, Sugawara's heart clenched as he saw the pain and sadness and _hopelessness_ in the boy's eyes. He was so young, so, so very young! A boy like this should not be accepting death!

Gently brushing the boy's tears away, Sugawara moved nearer as he stubbornly insisted, "No. No! It's not too late. I can still save you! I can still--,"

"N-no one... no one can."

Hearing the softly spoken words, hearing the helplessness and hopelessness in them, Sugawara frowned deeply, and with determination said, "Watch me."

Reaching for the towel that fell off when the boy moved away from him, Sugawara placed it against the wound once more, this time pressing it firmly in place. He ignored the boy's soft pleas for him to stop, ignored how much pain he was causing the other boy. This was all necessary, he told himself. He was not going to let this boy die. Not like this.

So concentrated on the task was he, that he hadn't noticed that the boy's pained moans had stopped, hadn't noticed that his breathing was a little more even now, and that color was starting to come back to his cheeks. Sugawara was so focused on stopping the bleeding that when a hand encircled his wrist, he almost jumped in fright.

Looking up with wide eyes at the boy, Sugawara was surprised to see coherency in his eyes, as if the pain that was clouding his judgement had disappeared. For what felt like a long while they stared at each other, until the boy broke it off by asking, "Who are you?"

Unable to respond, Sugawara could only stare at the boy.

"What are you?" the boy continued, staring back right at him, looking at Sugawara closely as if studying him, as if he was the one who had mysteriously appeared in the middle of someone's garden.

"Why do you have this power? How can you have this power?" he continued to ask. Then he looked down on Sugawara's hands still firmly pressing the towel to his wound, and with a voice filled with confusion, said, "What have you done?"

That snapped Sugawara out of his surprise at finding a suddenly very lively boy who was nearly at death's door mere moments ago.

What had he done? Shouldn't Sugawara be asking that question?!

"I should be asking you!" he finally said, incredulous, "What did you do? What are you? Why are you looking so alive?!" And then, without thinking of it, he took the towel away from the wound and--

"WHA--! It's gone!"

The boy nodded, and with all seriousness said, "You healed it."

Sputtering at the ridiculousness of it all, Sugawara moved away from the boy and stood up. Unable to believe what he saw, he laughed harshly and demanded, "This is all a joke, right? Who put you up to it, huh? Was it Murayama? Or was it Yamada?! Because seriously, this is not funny at all!"

The boy, however, merely frowned at him. "I'm sorry, but this isn't a joke. You healed me. _Your touch_ healed me."

"But that was _you_ , wasn't it? I mean, what the hell! You weren't really wounded, were you?"

"I assure you," the boy answered, "The wound was real. And it was not I, but you who healed me." The boy began to stand up then, and though a bit unsteady, he was able to stand to his full height using the tree to lift himself up.

Sugawara watched, torn if he should help or not. Because if this was all just a joke...

Except, the little cuts and bruises were still very visible. And still very, _very_ real.

Before he could ask anything more though, he heard movement behind him. When he turned to look, he was frozen in place as he stared at a hideous looking rat-like creature hissing at him. It looked exactly like one of the monsters his mother told him when he was young! It was all too much to bear that when it lunged at him, he was unable to move. Suddenly, a ball of fire was shot behind him and hit the creature, engulfing it in flames. It shrieked and thrashed violently, until it went deathly still.

Sugawara could not take his eyes off of the thing, horrified, scared and very, very confused. If this wasn't a dream, then what in the world was happening?!

"It must have gone in with me when I went through the distortion."

Turning to the boy, Sugawara asked, "D-distortion?"

"This is not my world," he said, without doubt.

Sugawara envied him a lot for that.

Looking around the garden, Sugawara bit his lip and though afraid of the answer, still asked, "A-are any of those... _things_ , going to come through again?"

When the boy shook his head, Sugawara sighed in relief. Then he sighed again, this time in defeat, before facing the boy, a person from another world, and said, "Wou-would you like to come in? I don't think I'll be able to think properly without food in me."

At the mention of food, the boy raised his brows, his eyes lighting up in interest.

It was a small gesture, but seeing it made Sugawara smile and relax a bit. Because it was familiar, because it felt human.

Even if he was a person from another world... maybe they weren't very different from each other after all.

And he _did_ say he wouldn't mind a little company. Except, definitely not like this!

Ignoring the bloodied towels, and definitely ignoring the patch of burnt grass where the _thing_ burned, he smiled shakily at the boy and gestured for him to come inside.

"Come in, then. I hope you don't mind katsudon."


	2. Chapter 2

"So let me get this straight," Sugawara said, as he set two steaming bowls of katsudon in front of himself and the boy, something he had purposely cooked very, very, _very_ slowly, "You came from another world."

The boy, Kageyama Tobio, nodded seriously, "Yes. I did."

"And that thing that came out, the one like a rat. That came from your world, too?"

"Yes," Kageyama nodded again, "But it's not _like_ a rat. It is a rat. Or it once was. It was tainted by darkness. That's why it turned like that."

Sugawara was not even going to ask what being 'tainted by darkness' meant. So he said instead, "You were wounded."

At this Kageyama's face darkened, and for one horrible moment, Sugawara wondered if he had offended the boy and if he was finally going to use that fire ball on him. But then the moment passed, and if Sugawara had once thought of the other boy as dangerous, now he only looked terribly burdened, and horribly, horribly young, "My family cast me out. I've been on the run ever since."

"...what?" Sugawara could hardly believe his ears. The boy before him was just that, a child! Probably even younger than him, too. What kind of monster would do something like this? What kind of world did he come from?!

"But that doesn't matter now,"

The hell it doesn't?! Sugawara wanted to yell, but Kageyama continued, "There are people who hate my family. They were the ones chasing me before I fell into that distortion. I would have evaded it, since I've never seen anything like it, but I'd already lost a lot of blood and I could hardly see straight. When I came to, I saw you, and I panicked."

"Right," Sugawara said, still in disbelief, "And then you healed yourself."

But Kageyama shook his head, "Sugawara-san, _you_ healed me."

"I was going to, of course! But your wound closing so fast like that, that couldn't have been me! I'm just your average, junior high student! I don't have any... any powers. I don't. I don't!"

"You do," Kageyama insisted, "Is that not a power in this world then?"

"Of course not!" Sugawara almost yelled, "Things like distortions and fire balls and zombie rats! Those only exist in movies! Movies! They're not real in this world. Even stuff like healing... well, some shinto priests and faith healers can, maybe? But those aren't even facts! So it couldn't have been me! But you have powers right? So it can only be you."

"That's impossible," Kageyama immediately said, "Only a _butoh_ can heal. People like me. We can't. My world doesn't work that way. But perhaps you..." he said, looking closely once again at Sugawara, as if trying to find _something_ there, "Are you _sure_ you are truly from this world?"

"I was born here! I have records and everything!" Sugawara quickly countered.

Except...

_"Koushi, would you like to hear a bedtime story?"_

His mother. His mother often told him stories when he was young, often regaling him with tales of adventure and quests, of wizards and knights, and great kingdoms ruled by even greater kings. He often said he wanted to meet these wizards and knights, and his mother, peppering him with kisses, would laugh and say, _'One day you may, Koushi. Maybe one day you may.'_

Still very much in denial, Sugawara shook that thought away and said instead, "Ah! Our food's going to get cold if we don't eat! Dig in, dig in!"

Stuffing his mouth with food, Sugawara ended that conversation and filed it for later.

Kageyama, sensing the other boy's discomfort, stayed silent. It was not his business to pry. Sugawara had saved him after all, no matter how much the other boy denied it. Kageyama knew the truth-- he never had the power to heal, and never will have the power to. If only his family...

But no, he wasn't going to think about that.

Picking up the chopsticks Sugawara placed on top of the bowl, Kageyama stared at the strange food dubiously before asking, "May I ask what this is?"

Blinking in surprise, once again reminded that the boy really was from another world, something Sugawara had desperately tried to ignore while cooking, he sighed in defeat and answered, "It's a dish called katsudon. It's, um, fried pork cutlets with... um, egg mixed with dashi powder and soy sauce and sugar-- well, you're not asking about that, are you? It's just pork and rice. It's safe, see?" he demonstrated, eating a sizable portion, "I hope you'll like it."

And Sugawara did hope Kageyama liked it. He would never tell anyone, but he took pride in his cooking, and he often did it when he was bored or stressed or sad. It was a stress-reliever of sorts, because he could lose himself in the motions of cooking, forgetting, even for a little while, whatever problems he had.

So when Kageyama hesitantly took a bite of the meat, and when his eyes lit up and his lips curved up in a pleased smile, Sugawara could not help but smile himself. He watched as Kageyama ate for a while, his thoughts going from 'it's nice to have someone to eat with' and 'I wonder when he ate last? He looks so thin!' to 'I should make him eat more, definitely' and 'Poor, kid! How horrible can the other world be?'.

He was in the middle of planning for the next meal when Kageyama broke through his thoughts by saying, "I've never tasted anything good like this, Sugawara-san. Thank you." And then he suddenly turned serious and with a bow filled with gratitude, said, "And forgive me for not saying this sooner, but thank you for saving my life, as well. I will forever be in your debt."

Eyes wide in surprise, Sugawara immediately countered, "What? No! I only did what proper people should do! You owe me nothing, Kageyama! Please, it's fine. Look up and continue eating, okay? The food might go cold! Then it wouldn't be as good anymore."

When Kageyama looked up, he had that ever-present frown on his face (something that made Sugawara nervous though he was loathe to admit it) then he forcefully shook his head and replied, "In my world, no one would have stopped and helped. Especially for someone like me. I owe you my life, Sugawara-san. My life is worthless, but it's the only thing I have left. Please, let me--,"

"No," Sugawara interrupted, a frown marring his face, "That kind of depressing talk. I don't want to hear it. A life is a life, and it's precious, whoever it is, whatever you've done or however others see you as. I don't want to hear you talk like that anymore, okay?" He let his words sink in for a while, then Sugawara's face brightened and with a cheeky grin, said, "Besides, I don't want to think that the life I saved is worthless! So yours is not! Definitely!"

Ignoring the stunned expression on the other boy's face, Sugawara playfully snatched a slice of pork from the others' bowl, and with an even cheekier grin, said, "If you keep freezing on me like that, I'll steal all your food!"

Kageyama blinked, then he turned away as he tried in vain to hide the faint blushing of his cheeks. He swallowed, then said, "I-if Sugawara-san needs more food, then please get as much as you want."

Pouting, Sugawara whined as he dropped the slice of pork back on Kageyama's bowl, "Whaaaat! You're no fun! I was just joking! Joking! Do you even know what that means?"

"O-of course I know what that means!" Kageyama replied, indignant, the flushing of his cheeks now from embarrassment, "It means you're making fun--,"

"Exactly! You're too serious, Kageyama! No more depressing talks, okay! Just eat, eat! Eating is supposed to be fun!"

"It... it is?" Kageyama asked, because to a person who has been on the run for quite a while, eating was only a necessity. It was just something he had to do to stay alive. Was eating something more than just that then? If it was, then it was one of the things he couldn't quite remember anymore.

When he looked up at Sugawara, there was a gentle smile on his face, but his eyes were pained, saddened as if he had an idea what Kageyama had been through, and was sympathizing with him. Not mocking him or pitying him, like all others had. But _sympathizing_ with him.

Kageyama had gone along with the other boy only because he knew that he could overpower Sugawara if he tried to kill him. He was ready for it, ready to make a run for it even in this strange world. But then Sugawara had left him by himself in his own home, taking a lot of time while cooking a surprisingly tasty dish called katsudon. He had even refused a life-oath from a Kageyama, had said that saving someone's life was the normal thing to do. And now he was trying to make him laugh, trying to make him comfortable and feel safe.

He was starting to believe that there were no more good people left in the world. But Sugawara was a good person, wasn't he?

For the first time in a long, long while, Kageyama let his guard down and gave Sugawara a rare smile.

But then Sugawara winced, and before he could ask what was wrong, if he did anything wrong, if he'd said anything wrong, Sugawara laughed and laughed and laughed.

Facing a confused Kageyama with a smile, Sugawara bit his lip to keep himself from laughing as he apologetically said, "Sorry, Kageyama! But, your smile! It's scary. It's really scary!"

Kageyama frowned, unsure of what to say.

"But it's okay!" Sugawara continued, wiping tears away, "Let's just say it's a work in progress. You don't smile much, do you? But that's fine!" Sugawara quickly assured, seeing the other boy getting drawn in by memories he knew were probably not pleasant, "We'll work on it. You'll see! One day, you'll make girls go crazy over it! And then, that'll be another problem altogether!"

Sensing amusement from the other boy, Kageyama nodded, and smiled a tiny little smile. "Okay," he said, "Okay."

"See?" Sugawara suddenly quipped, smiling brightly at him, "You're on your way to that already!"

* * *

Two days later, it quickly became apparent how different their worlds were.

For one, there was no electricity in the other world.

Hearing a crash in the living room, Sugawara rushed from the kitchen, his mind already seeing that rat zombie from before. What he found however left his mouth hanging open.

 _"What did you do?"_ Sugawara said, horrified.

"That animal attacked me!" Kageyama replied even as he readied another fire ball, "I accidentally stepped on it and it started gathering magic!"

"Magic?!" Sugawara hysterically said, staring at the mangled mess on the floor, "How many times have I told you there's no magic in this world!"

At the reprimand, Kageyama visibly deflated, the flame in his hands slowly dying down. "Oh," he said, looking repentant. But then his eyes hardened once more when he said, "B-but that thing! It began to use wind magic! It wasn't strong wind magic, but I definitely felt the wind!"

Trying very hard not to yell at the obviously confused Kageyama, Sugawara's voice was nevertheless loud when he said, "That's because it's an _electric fan_! It's a _machine_ that produces wind! Honestly, you--," he sighed, cutting himself off. Then he chuckled and shook his head.

It's been a night and a day since Kageyama dropped in on his life. And though it's been trying and difficult explaining and re-explaining and preventing the other boy from destroying his household appliances, these past days has been the most fun he's had since... Well, since a long time now.

Walking towards a still confused-looking Kageyama, Sugawara raised a hand (Kageyama flinched at it, something that Sugawara definitely noticed but ignored for now) and began to affectionately ruffle the hair of the other, and depressingly taller, younger boy.

Much more amused than frustrated, Sugawara peered at the bowed face of Kageyama, then with a gentle and patient voice, said, "I told you about machines, right?"

At Kageyama's nod, Sugawara continued, "They're not living things. They won't 'attack' you. They won't hurt you either, if you use them properly. They're 'tools', like you said. This one," he pointed, "is... well, was an electric fan. It's a thing that produces wind. There's no magic in it. Not like in your world. This world is safe," Sugawara stressed as he grasped Kageyama's shoulders tightly, "You're safe here, I promise."

And when Kageyama looked up at him, and when Sugawara saw the _trust_ in those eyes, Sugawara sighed and smiled affectionately at the younger boy.

Really, it was so hard staying angry at him!

Pulling Kageyama's arm, Sugawara steered him in front of the couch and made him sit. He turned on the TV and said, "You remember what this is, right?"

"A television."

Sugawara nodded approvingly, "Very good! You know what this does?"

"A box with moving pictures," Kageyama answered seriously.

"And also a fun, though unproductive way to pass the time. Now stay there while I prepare breakfast, okay? And behave yourself!" he scolded, though there was a grin on his face he couldn't hide.

Sensing amusement once again from Sugawara, Kageyama nodded and settled down.

It was lucky that Kageyama appeared on a Friday. But tomorrow was Monday, a school day. How in the world was Sugawara going to occupy Kageyama while he was in school? Groaning in despair, afraid to unleash a trigger-happy child with _magic_ in the world, Sugawara could only hope and pray.

* * *

"All right," Sugawara began, looking sternly at Kageyama, "You remember what I taught you the other day, right?"

"I remember," Kageyama replied.

"Good. If you hear the doorbell-- I let you hear it the other day remember? Ignore it. If the phone rings, that's noisy machine in the living room, ignore that too. You remember how to open the television, right? And I gave you books, too. When you get hungry, just put the food I prepared in the microwave. You remember how to use that too, right? And then--,"

"Sugawara-san," Kageyama interrupted, a very small hint of a grin appearing in his expression, "I remember everything. There is no need for you to worry."

Eyes wide, surprised that Kageyama was finally starting to loosen up, although a little annoyed that it was in his expense, Sugawara stopped his rambling and nodded. He picked up the lunch he made for himself then made for the door, "Okay. Good! Then I'm off to school now."

Instead of leaving, however, Sugawara turned around again and continued, "I'll be back by around 5 or 6, okay? Do you remember how to tell the time--,"

"Yes, yes, Sugawara-san!" Kageyama said, that stupid grin on his face now very much apparent, "I remember."

Scowling at the younger boy, Sugawara snorted and said, "Geeze. You can't smile but your smug face sure is annoying."

 _That_ erased the amusement from the other boy's expression. Kageyama was about to apologize, not wanting to offend the only person who has ever been kind to him, but stopped upon seeing the amused grin on the other boy's face.

Giving him a wave, Sugawara smiled encouragingly at him as he said, "I'll see ya later then! Have fun, Kageyama! And don't destroy anything!" Then he left, and finally made his way to school.

Kageyama blinked stupidly at the door for a while, before moving towards the living room and picking a book to read in the pile Sugawara left for him.

The other night, while watching something called a drama on TV, they discovered that not only was their spoken language the same, but the written as well. Sugawara immediately asked if he liked to read and, not wanting to disappoint the kind boy, said that yes, he did. Except he didn't, not really, because reading was boring. But then Sugawara smiled excitedly and began to tell him of a book he had read that he had absolutely loved and Kageyama found himself curious. He started reading the book yesterday and was surprised to find he actually liked it.

Curling up on the couch, Kageyama opened the book and began to read.

Minutes passed by like this, but with the room so silent, and so used had he become to Sugawara's presence, Kageyama couldn't quite concentrate on the book.

When the first of his tears marred a page on the book, he closed the book quickly and bit his lip, trying to hold his emotions from pouring out. But there was no use, because while Sugawara had admired how calm he was about this whole thing, in truth, he really wasn't. He wasn't calm about any of this at all. Kageyama had just treated it as he did most things in his life.

He ignored it and just kept on running.

But then there was nothing to run from anymore, not here. And with Sugawara gone, with the room so silent and _safe_ , everything that Kageyama had ignored since coming here was finally starting to sink in.

Everything from the moment they caught up to him, wounded him critically, then left him to die when creatures tainted by darkness came. He remembered how he'd forced himself to stand and run, how he kept on running and running even when he knew it was no use. And then the distortion. And waking up in another world.

There was no helping it now. The tears just kept on falling and falling and falling.

He was in _another world_. A world _without_ magic, a world that relied on machines and electricity and had strange inventions like the washing machine and the microwave. No one knew how to conjure flames, to command water to dance, or ask the wind to sing. Everyone was vulnerable and powerless. But unlike his world, this world wasn't _dying_. At least, as far as he can tell.

This world was peaceful and so, so very beautiful.

More than that though, in this world, Kageyama felt safe.

Not that he hadn't felt safe before. There had been people who had taken pity on him and sheltered him for the night, even as much as a day or two sometimes. He had felt safe then, too.

Deep down within him though, Kageyama understood that there was a difference between then and now. What that difference was, however, was beyond him at the moment. Not giving it much thought, Kageyama nevertheless vowed to keep everything under this house safe. It was the least he could do after all, having nothing else to give but his magic.

The day passed by silently like this. Then Sugawara came home, cheerfully greeted Kageyama, then told him that the proper response was to say ' _okaerinasai_ '.

"And then when you come back, you have to say what I said a while ago," Sugawara playfully lectured, grinning, "Do you remember? You say, 'tadaima'-- _I'm home_."

Dumbstruck, Kageyama could only stare at the other boy.

Noticing Kageyama's unresponsiveness, Sugawara touched Kageyama's shoulder and worriedly asked, "Kageyama, what is it?"

The touch shook Kageyama from his thoughts, then he turned to look at Sugawara and said, "Sugawara-san, do you really want me to say something like that?"

"Say something like what?" Sugawara repeated, as he tilted his head in confusion, "You mean, _tadaima_?"

At Kageyama's solemn nod, and at seeing the disbelief and hope and uncertainty in the other boy's eyes, Sugawara couldn't help but chuckle at the other boy as he ruffled his hair affectionately, "Well of course I do! I mean, it's not like you've got anywhere else to go, right? Seeing as you're from _another world_ and all. Besides, I've got lots of space and I don't mind having company! So, sorry Kageyama," he said, as he pulled the younger boy with him towards the kitchen, "But I guess that means that you're stuck with me. That means that this is your home now, for however long as you want it to be."

Kageyama couldn't help it, but whenever he thought Sugawara wasn't looking, he'd surreptitiously steal glances at the other boy, looking for clues to prove that Sugawara wasn't real. Because how could he be? Can a person really be this trusting and kind? Or was it, perhaps, because of the difference in their worlds?

All of a sudden, it all finally dawned on Kageyama.

The difference between the safety he felt from then and now was never really the kind of shelter, or the number of days he could stay, or the lack of danger.

The difference was the boy sitting in front of him, eating even as he prodded Kageyama to eat more food. It was the boy who didn't care that Kageyama attacked him, only that he was wounded and that he needed to be healed. The difference was Sugawara. Sugawara who had so casually took him in his home without expecting anything in return. Sugawra who was so exceptionally gentle and kind and patient and understanding.

He was wrong.

Kageyama didn't need to protect everything under this house.

He only needed to protect one thing.

* * *

Sitting up on his bed in surprise, Sugawara looked around his room and found that his phone was now a mangled mess on the floor.

Sensing something strange, he froze then slowly turned his head to the right.

Only to gape at Kageyama as he hysterically yelled, "Kageyama! What the hell did you do to my phone?!"

Unrepentant, Kageyama dutifully replied, "It was emitting strange noises and lights! I thought it was going to attack you so I--," he paused suddenly, looked away then said, "That... wasn't magic, was it?"

"It is most certainly not!" Sugawara nearly screeched, and so early in the morning too! "How many times has it been!"

"Um, I'm sorry?" Kageyama tried, though he didn't really mean it. Because in the chance that it _was_ magic, then...

"It was probably just the alarm going off, too," Sugawara lamented, ignoring Kageyama's apology. Then he scowled at Kageyama as he said, "Really, how many times do I hafta say it?! That thing is... was a machine! It's not dangerous at all! Like all the other times I've said it!"

But, like all the other times as well, Sugawara's ire quickly deflated, replaced once again by good humor.

"Although I must say," Sugawara chuckled, shaking his head, "I have been meaning to get a new phone. So I guess, maybe it's a good thing?" Then he frowned at Kageyama and said, "But no more destroying, okay?"

Kageyama nodded, but only to appease the elder boy.

Chucking off the covers, Sugawara slid off his bed, stood then paused as he looked at Kageyama.

A frown forming once more, Sugawara critically examined the younger boy as he asked, "How long exactly have you been in my room?"

Answering truthfully, Kageyama replied, "Since last night."

"Since when last night?" Sugawara prodded.

"Um, all of last night?"

That surprised Sugawara.

Kageyama, who thought that he might have offended the other boy somehow, was about to sincerely apologize when--

"And you didn't bring a futon with you?"

"Huh?"

"Or a blanket at least?"

Brows raised, Kageyama blinked then shook his head.

Shaking his head, Sugawara flicked Kageyama's forehead before saying, "Dumbass! You could've gotten a cold! Wasn't it freezing here last night?"

Before Kageyama could say anything, Sugawara continued, "And besides, don't you have your own room? I thought you'd want a bit of privacy and all," and then, in a much quieter voice, Sugawara worriedly asked, "Did you have... I mean, you couldn't sleep last night, is that it?"

Touched but also embarrassed, Kageyama flushed as he hurriedly explained, "I didn't have a nightmare, Sugawara-san!"

"Oh!" the other boy replied, looking relieved. Then he looked curious when he asked, "Then why did you sleep in my room? And at the foot of my bed too! You're not actually part dog, are you?"

"I'm not!" Kageyama quickly denied. Then, deeply embarrassed, he looked away and stayed silent. Besides, Kageyama could _never_ say something so cheesy like... like being grateful for the kindness and, and wanting to repay it the only way he knew how! He would die from the cheesiness of it!

Sugawara, sensing Kageyama's discomfort, chuckled and said, "Well! I'm getting hungry! How does bacon and eggs sound for today? And oh, I bought milk on the way home the other day. I forgot to give you some last night, but you have to drink it! It's good for growing boys!"

Before Kageyama could say anything, Sugawara made his way downstairs to prepare breakfast.

Watching as Sugawara left the room, Kageyama sighed, relieved that that awkward situation was over.

On the other hand though, if Sugawara was what Kageyama thought he was... then that would be one more reason to watch over the other boy. It might not mean anything. Not to this world, at least.

But if he could cross from his world to this, then having someone else cross over was not impossible.

If that did happen though, it shouldn't matter. He'd just have to stick closely to the other boy.


End file.
